The Masters

The Masters, one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic sporting event in the world. With the unmatched history of the event it creates an environment of pressure, excitement, and nervousness for not just the players but also the spectators watching the four days of golf pan out. 

One of the reasons the Masters tournament is so iconic is the course itself. The course (Augusta National Golf Club) was built on a nursery called Fruitland Nurseries, because of this every hole has an iconic name, the names originated from plants that were grown on Augusta Nationals Properties when it was a nursery. Some of the most iconic are a part of Amen Corner. The holes included in Amen Corner are White Dogwood, Golden Bell, and Azalea. These holes make or break your round, just starting the back nine the difficulty of these holes and the pressure that is felt especially on Sunday afternoon if you are holding the lead or in the hunt. The picture on the left is the hole Azalea, a gettable par 5 where you can not go short nor long on your second or third shot with the hole only being a total of 545. For most players, the green is reachable in two shots but with the size of it, the reward outweighs the risk for most players. 

Another historical aspect of the Masters is the Green Jacket. The Green Jacket is given to the winner for one year and when the next winner is crowned the previous winner puts the jacket on the new champion. To become a great player in the history of the sport it is essential to arrive in the winner’s circle at Augusta National. In the past, only three players have gone back to back in Masters history and to most people they are the three greats in the game, Tiger Woods (2001-2002), Nick Faldo (1989-1990), and Jack Nicholas (1965-1966). It is truly one of the most difficult achievements to complete as a professional golfer going back to back at Augusta National.

The week leading up to the Masters has just as much action as the weekend. The week starts off on Wednesday with the par 3 course that is on property at Augusta National. This competition is where caddies play with their players for a fun event before grinding it out over the weekend. On Thursday the first round begins, it is always good to get off to a good start ideally staying around even par. Friday is the second most important day, based on how the field is doing, the cut line will be formed. The top 50 players and players tied at the cut line make it to the weekend. If you don’t make the cut, you do not play into the weekend and receive no money from playing in the tournament. Saturday is known as moving day, where it is the time to attempt to soar up the leaderboard. Players will start attacking pins and try to get the lowest score that they can, they will start to play a lot more risky which leads to a very entertaining round to watch. Of course the most important day, Sunday, the day the winner is crowned with the green jacket and the trophy in the shape of the Augusta National Clubhouse.